
via Getty
USA’s Kobe Bryant (L) looks at USA’s LeBron James during the men’s semi-final basketball match Argentina against The US of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 22, 2008 at the Olympic basketball Arena in Beijing. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)

via Getty
USA’s Kobe Bryant (L) looks at USA’s LeBron James during the men’s semi-final basketball match Argentina against The US of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 22, 2008 at the Olympic basketball Arena in Beijing. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)
When Team USA heads to the Olympics, they fly off with some of the best talents in the world. Be it swimming, track, and field, or ice hockey, they send the best. But, the US basketball team is the benchmark for most teams to reach. They are the masters of the game and the NBA is a major reason for their success. Sending the best players for every Olympics is customary and the media label them as the ‘Dream Team’. The 2008 team saw both LeBron James and Kobe Bryant leading the team. Their influence was incredible.
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Thus, the 2008 Dream Team that went to Beijing had some of the best players in the game’s history. The late Kobe Bryant was captain of the team and he had a group of hungry players determined to succeed. Along with a young LeBron James, Team USA won the gold medal in the final of the Summer Games in 2008. Most of the credit would have to be for Kobe and Bron who mentored many young players.
World-class mentoring by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James
These two were at the pinnacle of their sport during that era. Kobe won the NBA title the next year with the Los Angeles Lakers while LeBron won his first MVP trophy in 2009. With all the experience they had, they helped their teammates to push harder and achieve unparalleled success. A video has resurfaced of both Bryant and James, coaching the other basketball players.
In the first clip, Bryant mentors a young Carmelo Anthony to spot up on the court. Anthony is one of the best scorers in the league and won the scoring title in 2013. Then, James gets into the act and is shouting instructions to Michael Redd from the Milwaukee Bucks who played shooting guard.
Throwback to #LeBron and #Kobe Mic’d up during the 2008 Olympics practice ❤️ pic.twitter.com/tIrpRteJIb
— NBA Hoops (@nbahoopsx) May 9, 2022
The next clip sees Kobe Bryant coaching his heir to the throne, Dwyane Wade. Significantly, he was the scoring leader for Team USA with 16 points. He also scored 27 points in the final against Spain, to give Team USA the Olympic gold medal. Kobe is seen telling him to drive forward with momentum so that he could get space to shoot or pass the ball.
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Elite level training
Soon after, Kobe tells LeBron James to “angle that double” and offers his advice on different aspects of play. At the end of the video, Bron drives to the basket and gets an and-one layup. Kobe is thrilled to see that and exclaims his happiness. Bron is also seen working on his defense, by restricting space and boxing out his teammate.

via Imago
NEW YORK – JUNE 30: Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James attend the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team unveiling of their new team look to fans at the Water Club and Rockefeller Center on June 30, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
All these small specifications helped Team USA to win the gold medal. They had different superstars on the team and certainly, Bryant and James were the two pillar stones. They helped the team to win the gold medal and proved why the USA is the best basketball team in the world.
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